Speed-controller for aeroplanes.



A. B. THAW.

SPEED CONTROLLER FOR AEROPLANES. APPLICATION FILED JAN.29. 1914.

1,1 5 1,4 1 9., Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. W/TNESSES l/JVENTOR ALEXANDER BLAIR THAW A. B. THAW.

SPEED CONTROLLER FOR AEROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED ]AN.29. 19144 1 9 1 5 1 A1 9., Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ALEXANDER BLAIR THAw' /A 3 u By W W I ATTORNEYS W/T/VESSES SPEED-CONTROLLER FOB AEROPLANES.

Application filed January 29,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER BLAIR THAW, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have mvented a new and Improved Speed-Controller for Aeroplanes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are: to provide means for controlling within' predetermined limits, the speed of an aeroplane; to provide automatic control; to augment or diminish the speed of an aeroplane; and to provide means for determining the action of the controller preliminary to landing.

Drawings.l igure 1 is'a side view of an aeroplane of conventional design having attached thereto a speed controller constructed and arranged in accordance withthe present invention; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic vlew,

showing the arrangement and coiipera-tive relation of the parts of the said speed controller and elements of the aeroplane directly 'aifected thereby.

Deecription.-As seen in the accompanying drawings, a vertically disposed plane 7 is rigidly mounted upon a slender shaft 8, which slides in bearings 9 and 10 divided in a' frame 11. The frame 11 is mounted on a base 12 of any suitable construction, said base being shaped to rest securely on the upper surface of one or other of the carrying planes. The apparatus is preferably mounted on the upper carrying plane of a biplane. It will be understood that the location of the apparatus is optional, the single requirement being that the plane 7 should .be freely exposed, to the influence of the atmosphere through which the aeroplane is traveling.

The frame 11 is hollow centered and has a curved side 13, the curvature whereof is concentric with a pin 1a which forms a pivot for the pendulously mounted blade 15. The blade 15 is loosely-connected to the shaft 8 by a pin 16, which pin is fixedly mounted on the said shaft and extends through a slot 17, formed lengthwise of the blade 15; The sliding connection thus provided, permits the shaft 8 to reciprocate and rock the blade 15 on the pin-14. The rocking of the blade 15 just mentioned, is effected by the pressure of the atmosphere on the. lane 7, which tends to move the shaft 8 bac ward'from the .direction of flight of the aeroplane and by the spiral'spring 18- which tends to move Specification of Letters Patent.

circuits.

Patented Aug. 2a, 1915.

1914. Serial No. 815,207.

the plane 7 and shaft 8 connected therewith 1n the direction of flight. The plane 7 when unrestrained is capable of moving the shaft 8 to place the free end of the blade 15 in engagement with the electrically contact plugs 19 and 20 respectively.

The plugs 19. and 20. are provided with sultable insulation 21, electrically separat-- ing the plugs from the frame 11, which as shown in the diagram, Fig. 2, constitutes a common terminal for both of the circuits, in which the plugs 19 and 20 are embodied. In the said vcircuits are also incorporated, magnets 22 and 23, the magnet 22 being incorporated in the circuit with the plug 19 and the magnet 23 is incorporated in the circuit with the lug 20. A battery 24 is in corporated in oth of the said circuits, the return wire 25 being also common to both The circuit wires '26 and 27 are individualized and are incorporated in the circuits having the plugs 19 and 20, respectively.

The numerals 28 and 29, as best shown in. Fig. 2 of the drawings, are employed to indicate winding drums of a machine 30 carried on the aeroplane for operating the levitatlng planes 31 and the diving planes 32 situated at the forward and rear ends, re-

*spectively, of the aeroplane. The function of the drums 28 and 29 is to'deflect the planes 31 and 32 respectively, so that the front or rear end of said aeroplane is lifted, due to the operation of said drums and the connecting cables 33 and.34:. Any conventional means for operating the drums 28 and 29 is employed. Whatever the driving mechanism so employed for rotating the drums 28 and 29, said mechanism is actuated by the electro-active elements such as the magnets 22 and 23, which magnets, as'shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, are disposed in circuit with the plu s 19 and .20 respectively.

In'performing its unction, the drum 28 is rotated when the magnet 22 is energized by the blade 15 engaging the plug19. The

rotation of the drum 28 ,is such as will uptilt the levitating planes 31. The function of the drum 29, on theother hand, is inaugurated when themagnet 23 is energized due to the blade 15 engaging the plug 20. The operation of the drum 29, through the intermediary of the cable34, is to incline the.

divin plane 32 so that the tail end of the: aeroplane is lifted.

The operation of the apparatus shown-is the drawing isfas follows: When the aeroplane is proceeding through the atmosphere at the predetermined rate, the air pressure.

on the plane 7 partly comp'resses'the. spring 18 to retract the shaft 8 and-the blade connected therewith. The blade 15 is thereafter held; as shown the drawings, between the plugs '19 and 20.. If for any. reason, such as the stalling. of the engine, the speed is reduced toapoint threateningthe safety of the aeroplane, the-pressure is removed from the planefTfand the spring 18 is permitted to. advance the plane 7 and the shaft connected therewithnntil the blade15 is .moved into contact 'with the plug 20.

This establishes the electric current embody- 1 ing the magnet 23, which is energized to actuate the rotation of the drum 29 and thereby depress the diving plane 32 of the aeroplane, with -which'the said drum is connected. The aeroplane in divingbacks up its speed until the forward pressure on the o eration of plane 7 compresses the spring '18, by mov mg the shaft 8 and blade 15 backward, said.

. gether with the shaft 8 until the blade 15 33. The planes 31 are upwardly inclined to engages the plug 19. In this position, the circuit embodying the magnet 22 is established, energizing the said magnet and operating the drum 28 to draw'upon the cable cause the aeroplane to take an upward flight. The eflect of the upward flight is similar: to that of the ordinary vehicle.

a hill and tends to reduce the he reduction of speed reduces the climbin speed.

pressure on the plane 7 and the spring 18 is then permitted to move the said plane forward together with the shaft 8 and the blade 15, which now rests between the plugs 19 and 20, and permits the stabilizing mechanism to reestablish and control the hor zontal flight of the aeroplane.

It will be understood that the operation of the present mechanism will be coincident.

with what is termed, landing. The desired slow speed of the aeroplane prehmmary'to landing, willhav'e the effect that thesprmg 18 is permitted to move the blade15 to' engage the plug 20. The set of the plane 32 causes the aero lane todive and 1t is to overcome this .e set on the approach of the aeroplane to the ground that I provide an "36' and thefpoint of attachment of; the

spring to the antenna. Therefore when the. j p antenna is lifted to'approximately' theleveI;

stem 35.. This in its' einbodiment, as

shown in. the. .drawings, isa 'pendmg arm, 'pivotally mounted upona pin 36 supported onthe skid bar 37 ofithe. aeroplane frame.

. The antenna 35 has an electric switch-knife blade 38, 'formin one terminal of the branch wire 39." e oppositeterininal is the blade. .40 at' the; end "of the'w'ire 41, which is thecommon returnwire connected to the frame ll'incorporatingthe blade: 15.

It will be seen that when in the approach of the" aeroplane to the ground, the-end of the antenna 35 engages the r0und,- i t is moved inthe direction shown. y I s arrew' connected therewith in 'F' a 2" of the draw. ings, resulting in lifting 4 e blade-.38. from the blade .40 and thus .opening'fjboth'thefcir-f I eration of the speed. controller;

per. end whereof above the'line of the pin" cuitsin whi'eh the-magnets 22am 23am 1 mcorporated. This action suspends the -op i 'i 8 To' hold the antenna 35in the-lowered pm sition, I provide'a spring 42'. The spring- 421- I t is anchored to ashort standard 43, the-lips of the bar 37," the pull of the spri 42 main; i

tains' the antenna in raised position. Thus after the antenna 35engages the ground, the use of the speed controlfmeehanism is discontinued. Also by, the operation ofthe spring 42, the; employment'of the speed con-- trol mechanism is .susp'endedfto permit the aeroplane to get away from the ground; It

too

is after theflight has commenced and when the normal 'spe'ed has been attained that the antenna 35 is depressed below the bar 37 and v I I the spring 42 move's it-to-the abandoned p0 sition shown in. the drawings and engages the. switch blades 38and 40.' 1 9 Claims: 1. A controller mechanism for the alancing members ofan as characterized,- compris inga yielding air-Eressedplane; operating aeroplane; a plurality. of electro-mechanieal devices for selectively actuating said operatcuits, each embodying one of said devices; a plurality of electric switch membersflcontrolling said circuits,- one of saidswitch members being connected with said. yielding mechanism; a plurality of electric =ciring plane; and a controllingswitch'for said electro-mechanical devices embodying" a movable contact member disposed to be engaged by the. ground when landing said aeroplane. 1, 2. A controller as' charaeterized,-comprismg a yielding airres sedplane; operating mechanism for the alancing member'sof an aeroplane; a plurality ofelectro-mechanical devices for selectively actuatin said operatmg mechanism; a plurality 0- electric cir- Cults, each embodyingone of said devices; a plurahty of electric switch members con- 1 ing thereon.

3. A controller as characterized, comprising a yielding air-pressed plane; operating mechanism for the balancing members of an aeroplane; a plurality of electro-mechanical devices for selectively actuating said operating mechanism; a plurality of electric circuits, each embodying one of said devices;

a plurality of electric switch members controlling said circuits} one of said switch -members being connected with said yielding plane; a controlling switch for all the circuits of said electro-mechanicalx; d ,vices, 7

an antenna operatively disposed iii-advance of an aeroplane to engage a supporting medium preliminary to making a landing thereon; and means for holding said antenna in out of service position after being moved by contact with said supporting medium.

4. A controller as characterized, comprising a diving plane automatic means for operating said diving plane; and means for discontinuing the operation of said automatic means, said last-mentioned means embodying a member for engaging the ground when the body of the aeroplane is approach ing the same.

In witness whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXANDER BLAIR THAW.

Witnesses:

E. F. Monsoon, Prrrmn D. RoLLHAUs, 

